Cases of Gonorrhea Increasing Substantially in one Upstate County

First Covid, then Covid variants, then Monkey Pox. And now, one STD we all learned about in high school health class is rearing its ugly head. In fact, I remember my 10th grade health teacher slamming a 2x4 on his desk just to emphasize its street name - The CLAP.

We've all heard about it but never really banked on getting it. The Clap (or its medical name 'gonorrhea') is an infection transmitted through various forms of sexual activity.

One local county is warning that cases have risen 'substantially' in the past few months and are encouraging people to get tested. The Fulton County Public Health Department issued a statement Thursday encouraging those at risk to get tested. So who's at risk? Basically anyone who is sexually active and has had multiple partners. Pregnant women are especially encouraged to get tested as early as possible if they think they've been exposed.

If you've been experiencing any symptoms (which I won't go into here, but there's a reason they call it The Clap), you are encouraged to visit your doctor as soon as possible. A list of symptoms can be found on this list made available by the Mayo Clinic.

The good news is, Gonorrhea is treatable. Usually with antibiotics. Treatment can take from a few days to a couple weeks. Of course, the earlier you get treated, the better. Long term effects can include infertility in both men and women as well as fever, rashes and an increased risk for HIV.

With everything else out there, we've got enough to worry about. Let's not add The Clap to the list.